Su’a William Sio

Pacific Climate Change Spokesperson
7 January 2016

Pasifika caucus visit frontline climate change states

Labour is sending a special climate change task force to Tuvalu and Kiribati next month, says Labour’s Pacific Climate Change Spokesperson Su’a William Sio.

“Members of our Pacific Caucus want to see at first-hand what is happening in countries regarded as the most vulnerable in the world to sea level rise, and what can be done to mitigate this.

“Labour also wants to review the whole issue of what makes a Climate Change refugee and what the legal definition of one might be under a Labour Government.

“The decision taken at Paris to press for an ‘aspirational target’ of 1.5 degrees was a great step forward in ensuring the survival of the Pacific nations but a lot more action is needed. It’s important to remember the catch cry from COP21: Save Tuvalu and you Save the Globe.

“The National Government continues to sit on the fence over this issue. Two months ago New Zealand suffered an embarrassing drop in the world climate rankings from 35th to 42nd. We were ranked in the bottom five for climate change policy.

“Climate change has already caused huge problems in the Pacific and I look forward to leading a team, focussed on our Pasifika neighbours, that develops a blueprint for a healthier sustainable future,” says Su’a William Sio, who will meet with officials from the South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) in Samoa to get a briefing before the visit.

ENDS

© Scoop Media